Frustration

[Dror Levi]

About a year ago the place that I worked for decided they are letting me go.
At this point I decided that i am only going to work for my self and started the full time wedding business.(
Relatively I am doing pretty good and get allot of good credit for my work which brings me some More.
The problem I am facing is that I can not finish my work on time since I constantly have technical problems.
I am shooting with fx1000 and the 7D
Edit with sony vegas 9c/d
Neo cine
New Blue
Looks Builder.
My computer is a quad core with 2 sets of raid zero.
I started with problems with Looks Builder and Vegas 32bit which will shot down render after 5 min so I had to make patches of 5 min clip and then render theme together to one clip.
Then I got a new computer I7 and I am using the new blue that can work with 64bit unlike the Look Builder that works only with 32 bit.
so Now Vegas always give me error and close down for what ever reason.
Maybe 7d files maybe the neo cine files or ........

Is that only me that spent about 40% of the time on computer /software error?
Maybe Sony Vegas is not for me?
I would love to hear suggestion.

[Michael Ojjeh]

Dror, I have the same problem using Vegas9c/d especially when using large files, I went back to Vegas8 and had no problem, I just did a fashion show shoot with 3 cameras and when I downloaded the tapes ( almost 8 hours) Vegas9 crashed on me 2-3 times within half an hour, went back to Vegas8 problem solved.
As far as Vegas9 handling the footage from the 7D, it should not be a problem I use EPIC software to make preview easier.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Dror

One of the major issues I have always found is that software manufacturers struggle to keep up with new OS technology so versions that are supposed to work on the latest systems usually have bugs as they are rushed out to meet the market needs without long term field testing.

My approach to this is simple! I need absolute reliability when I do a wedding so my edit machine is slightly older technology than normal. I still run WinXP Pro on a DualCore 'puter and Vegas 9 (the first release!!)
The result is that I'm not as "up to date" as the i7 and Vegas 9C guys BUT I have a machine that will churn out weddings for clients without any issues, crashes or problems. If weddings are your main income then make sure you have a workhorse machine that will run without hiccups!! By all means play with the very latest stuff on a spare machine and sort out the bugs if you have spare time but let your main 'puter be the one that earns you money.

I know I can do a wedding edit and render without having to worry about any issues so as already said take a step down in technology for your income generator!

Chris

[Travis Cossel]

I mean this in all seriousness ... switch to a Mac. I just went about 2 years on my system without a hard crash. First crash was a few weeks ago, and was basically my own fault.

[Bill Vincent]

I can understand and relate to your frustration. That being said, no matter what equipment you use, you are going to have problems/failures/setbacks. The MOST important thing you can possibly do is to make the right equipment and software choices for the type of work you want to do. The only way to do that is to research, research, research. Read about other people's experiences with various gear and software. Go to trade shows and try out the equipment. Ask other professionals through forums and conferences. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. Do try to get everything as cheaply as possible, but DON'T buy cheap gear.

There isn't one setup that is going to work for everyone, or one setup that is waaay better than all the rest. It is going to depend on you. Also, workflow is something that is best described as a journey, not a destination - in other words, you're going to have to continually refine and assess your workflow as you go. It's like playing "Whack a Mole" - you keep knocking down problems one by one, and eventually you are having more successes than failures as you replace what doesn't work and add what does.

I am just now feeling like I've got a good handle on workflow - and I've been working very hard for months just to feel like I'm getting the most out of what I have. Again, it's a process.

[Kelly Langerak]

I have a Mac and love it until recently I switched out my Boot Drive and now ALL my files are locked. Apple doesn't have an easy fix for this and no software has worked to unlock all 750,000 files. I still haven't figured out what to do, so Mac's can be just as bad.

And if I'm logged in as the Admin why in the HELL do i have to enter in my password to dump files, move files etc.

Ughhhh.


I still love the machine thou.

[Dror Levi]

Thanks to all.
Like I said, it is always something that is going on.
For example the same project that I am working currently will crash on my gateway I7 new computer but when open it on the old computer that runs windows 7 as well the project is stable and no problems.
Does anyone knows what will be the best alternative software for a Vegas user as far as learning curve?

[Jeff Kellam]

Dror:

Im a Vegas user also. I am still using 8.0c on XP which was the last truly stable build IMO.

My Vegas install is rock solid, and I dont think I will upgrade to Vegas 10 or whatever until the Sony Vegas forum has a good consensus that the next release is solid, as IMO the Vegas 9 release was flawed with many bugs.

FCP is really your only option for a full featured NLE other than Vegas. I believe you will have a steep learning curve to be familiar with FCP, as it is totally different than Vegas.

I would try Vegas 8.0c before you go to FCP, as you can clean install it in a few minutes and already know how to run it.

Im sure you have sought advice on the SCS Forums already. It just seems sometimes people have a hardware configuration or basic setup issue that Vegas wont work with and be stable, and it is impossible to figure out. I would run Vegas 8.0c on your new computer until the next Vegas version comes out.

[Matthew Craggs]

I'm not just saying this to be an Apple Fan Boy, because I don't agree with everything Apple has done in the past few years, but I agree with everyone who says switch.

In fall of 2007 my PC was giving me troubles. Around this time I had the opportunity to freelance for a company that would send a lot of wedding editing my way. In 2008 I must have done somewhere between 40 or 50 wedding edits. I wanted a system that I could set up and not have to worry about anything computer related. I didn't want to deal with crashing and freezing, I wanted to worry about editing.

So I bought a Mac Pro and haven't looked back. The same machine is running today, almost three years later, as smoothly as it did the day I took it out of the box. The only thing I have done to the machine is add more storage and memory. And you know what? That was a piece of cake. I used to shy away from Mac's because I liked the ability to open the tower and be able to customize the system however I want, but the inside of a Mac Pro is a thing of beauty. Adding a hard drive is as simple as opening the case and plugging it in. You don't have to touch a single wire.

I know you pay a premium for a Mac, and I know that it is very possible to run a fast, clean PC, but in my humble opinion there is no comparison. I edit all day, every day, and have had a fraction of the problems that I had back in the day when I was just using a PC for word processing and web design.

[Perrone Ford]

Guys,

No need to turn this into a platform war.

I think over time we have learned a few things. Vegas 8.0c on XP was darn near bulletproof. Vegas 9.0x on any platform has been good for some (especially those cutting SD or HDV) but not so good for others, and there have been many, many bugs.

FCP on the Mac is a viable alternative. Avid on Mac or PC is a viable alternative. Edius on PC is a viable alternative, and likely the least expensive option both in terns of money and time for relearning, for those moving away from Vegas.

As for the PC being no good, or unstable, or unreliable, I call BS. James Cameron's folks could have cut Avatar on anything they wanted with their budget. And they cut on Avid running on PCs. As have numerous other movies and shows. Either platform is viable.